Insight, Analysis, and Perspective for Businesses and Individuals

Springtime is a great time to review your current estate plan or consider creating one.  This year brings a number of opportunities for creating an estate plan, pursuing gifting strategies, and considering philanthropic goals.  Here is a highlight of a few estate planning opportunities for this year: Increased Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Exemptions […]

The job of parenting can be consuming with the drive to protect children in all circumstances, including the unthinkable. However, the topic of estate planning for children still looms large on the mind of most parents. Estate planning clients of young-adult children often express concerns about ensuring their children are cared for in the event […]

Per the U.S. Treasury Department announcement below, FinCEN is now dead except for some limited foreign entity reporting. Despite the many turbulent things happening in the U.S. government right now, this still came out of left field and is a bit surprising. We all know, however, that the political pendulum swings and suspect that, eventually, […]

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty that established a uniform set of laws for countries with respect to child abduction. Countries that are signors to the Convention agree to follow an established legal process to recover and return children located in their country who may have […]

In today’s complex litigation landscape, many individuals and businesses are turning to alternative methods to resolve disputes as a way to avoid the time, expense, and unpredictability of traditional lawsuit. Pre-litigation mediation has emerged as one method to resolve disputes before initiating a lawsuit. Engaging in pre-litigation mediation involves working with a neutral third-party mediator […]

In part 2 of our discussion of the fact finding process in civil litigation we are going to look at “requests for production”—a form of “discovery” that you should be prepared for as part of a civil lawsuit.  If you missed Part 1 on Interrogatories, a common form of discovery that often accompanies requests for […]

If you find yourself involved in civil litigation of any kind, the case will take up a significant part of your life. While your attorney will take on the heavy lifting, he or she will require your help to gather the facts and evidence to support or defend your case. This article discusses “interrogatories”—a method […]

If you and your spouse are undergoing a divorce with children, there’s a good chance you are thinking about what kind of custody arrangement you will end up with. In Washington, we refer to these as “Residential Provisions” or more colloquially a “residential schedule.”  They are a mandatory part of every parenting plan. Certainly, this […]

Liens provide a means of recourse for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers who have not been paid. In Washington, there are specific disclosure requirements that must be met before a licensed and registered contractor is able to record a valid mechanic’s lien for work performed on residential real property. It is imperative that both contractors and […]

Divorce is often an emotionally charged and challenging experience. Beyond the personal heartbreak that may be involved, the legal and financial aspects can feel overwhelming. One of the most difficult tasks in the divorce process is reaching an agreement on key issues such as asset division, a parenting plan (if you have minor children) and […]

Many savvy estate plans include the use of an irrevocable trust that was established many years ago.  However, the very nature of an irrevocable trust means that once the trust agreement is finalized, the terms of that trust cannot be amended or modified.  Over the years, tax laws have changed and, depending on when the […]

One of the greatest hurdles faced by landlords and property owners is regaining possession of real property in a timely manner.  Unlawful Detainer (also referred to as an eviction) and Ejectment are actions are used by landlords and property owners to recover the possession of real property. Choosing the type of action depends on the […]